Gospel Principles
Unit 6: The Gospel of Jesus Christ
Chapter 19: Repentance
Concept 4: How Repentance Helps Us
"As we repent, the atonement of Jesus Christ becomes fully effective in our lives, and the Lord forgives our sins. We become free from bondage of our sins, and we find joy.
Alma recounted his experience of repenting from his sinful past:
"My soul was harrowed up [troubled] to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.
"Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.
"...So great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.
"...It came to pass that as I was...harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy...concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.
"Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me...
"And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains pains no ...
"And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
"...There can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy" (Alma 36:12-14,17-21).
Discussion
Read Alma 36:6-28
Discuss the agony Alma suffered while remembering his sins; also his repentance and how forgiveness brought him joy."